Growing Towards the Sun

Growing Towards the Sun features work by painter Elizabeth Castiglione and sculptor Emily Squires Levine. Emily uses layers of polymer clay to create patterned canes that are then sliced into the components that make up her work. She layers the pieces one on top of the other to build the flora up and out. The end result is a stunning display of colorful fields and swirling stems that are used as a vessel for flower pots. Elizabeth depicts compositions of sunflowers in all stages of their life cycle. Exploring ideas of mental illness and fragility, her depictions of these joyful flowers remind us that even decay exists in beauty and that even in the dark, the sunflower will find the light. Both artists play with the idea of flowers to represent the human experience, from Emily’s playful depictions of bushes and bouquets to Elizabeth’s balance of growth and decay in her sunflower fields.